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Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:06 Jun 2019, 17:03
by Sipa
We are now offering..
Prices updated for 2021
Apidea additional Brood chamber/supers
Shipped in boxes of 12 at £168 per box, that is £14 per Brood chamber.
Apidea Top Feeder
Shipped in boxes of 18 at £288 per box, that is £16 per Feeder.
Apidea Frames (Orange)
Shipped in boxes of 100 at £110 per box, that is £1.10 per Frame
Other spares available upon request
To see more and place orders here :http://www.honeybeenucs.co.uk/beekeeping-equipment-for-sale.html
Re: Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:02 Aug 2019, 09:38
by AdamD
The 'Chinese copy' Apideas which can now be obtained from eBay and elsewhere are compatible with the original so the frames do fit, for example.
Re: Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:02 Aug 2019, 10:36
by Sipa
AdamD wrote: ↑02 Aug 2019, 09:38
The 'Chinese copy' Apideas which can now be obtained from eBay and elsewhere are compatible with the original so the frames do fit, for example.
Unfortunately the Chinese copies of the Apidea's just don't last, they are soft and breakdown easily and quite quickly too.
The copy frames don't have the same tolerance to heat either meaning they can twist out of shape over time.
Re: Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:02 Aug 2019, 10:52
by Japey Edge
I have two of the cheap copies. The polystyrene is nothing special - just the stuff you'd find in the packaging for a TV/fridge etc.
But with a lick of paint it works just fine. The main damage came from two surfaces that were painted binding together, when I forced them apart a chunk of polystyrene came off. Time will tell how long they last. If these last two years but regular apideas last 4 then there isn't really much difference in it for me.
Re: Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:02 Aug 2019, 11:20
by Sipa
Japey Edge wrote: ↑02 Aug 2019, 10:52
I have two of the cheap copies. The polystyrene is nothing special - just the stuff you'd find in the packaging for a TV/fridge etc.
But with a lick of paint it works just fine. The main damage came from two surfaces that were painted binding together, when I forced them apart a chunk of polystyrene came off. Time will tell how long they last. If these last two years but regular apideas last 4 then there isn't really much difference in it for me.
Original Apidea's should last 10 to 20 years with reasonable handling, especially if painted and contact edges rubbed with Vaseline to facilitate easy separation.
Re: Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:02 Aug 2019, 11:40
by AdamD
"Original Apidea's should last 10 to 20 years with reasonable handling" Unless wax moth eats through the feeder.
I have to admit that I don't like the idea of 'Chinese' copies.
One thing I don't like about Apideas is the way bees tend to get trapped at the top of the frame as they go down. This doesn't happen so much with the Swi-Bine ones.
Re: Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:02 Aug 2019, 12:15
by Sipa
AdamD wrote: ↑02 Aug 2019, 11:40
Unless wax moth eats through the feeder.
I have to admit that I don't like the idea of 'Chinese' copies.
One thing I don't like about Apideas is the way bees tend to get trapped at the top of the frame as they go down. This doesn't happen so much with the Swi-Bine ones.
Wax Moth are a pest in any situation, wood or poly... it doesn't matter.
With Apidea's being modular, any damaged parts can be replaced quite cheaply.
We run a few hundred of these and have never run into issues with bees becoming trapped on top of the frames
.
Re: Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:02 Aug 2019, 14:34
by Japey Edge
Sipa wrote: ↑02 Aug 2019, 11:20
Original Apidea's should last 10 to 20 years with reasonable handling, especially if painted and contact edges rubbed with Vaseline to facilitate easy separation.
Yeah that's fair enough - I just threw the numbers about to illustrate the apideas need to last 4 x longer than the cheapo ones in order to deserve the 4 x price tag
Re: Apidea additions and spares
PostPosted:02 Aug 2019, 20:27
by AdamD
Sipa wrote: ↑02 Aug 2019, 12:15
We run a few hundred of these and have never run into issues with bees becoming trapped on top of the frames
.
As the frames go down, bees get trapped and squashed under the 'top bars' in the space where the side bars and top bars click together. (Against the polystyrene box). I know that they can get trapped and squashed under any top bars, but it seems more prevalent in Apideas compared to the Swi-bines I use.
The Apideas do have top feeders which others don't have, and the poly is as good as any you can get. My guess is that the plastic ventillated slidey floor of the Swi-bines is better when the bees are shut in, due to the ventillation improvement. Although I also guess that if you run a few hundred, the Apideas work pretty well for you!